SCLT (RotBTD, Rwby AU)
by Kyra Tuiama
Summary: Monsters known as the Creatures of Grimm have roamed the world for as long as time itself. Skilled people known as Hunters and Huntresses have been locked in battle with the Grimm since the start of mankind. Jack, Hiccup, Merida and Rapunzel come together at Beacon Academy in order to learn how to fight the dark forces.
1. Jackson Overland Sapphire Frost

Hello everyone!

This story uses the characters from the movies in RotBTD, and takes plot elements from both the original films and the web series, Rwby, which is why it's an AU. You do not need to watch Rwby in order to read this. Heck, you shouldn't have to watch all four movies of RotBTD either. Anyway, I hope you enjoy~!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians, How to Train Your Dragon, Brave, Tangled or Rwby. All credits goes to their awesome creators.

**Foreword**

Legends.

Stories scattered through time.

Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting easily that we are remnants-byproducts- of a forgotten past.

Man-born from dust-was strong, wise and resourceful. But he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness-creatures of destruction: the Creatures of Grimm set their sights on man and all of his creations. These forces clashed, and it seems that the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the Void.

However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change. And in time, man's passion, resourcefulness and ingenuity led them to the tool that would help even the odds. This power was appropriately named "Dust".

With nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness. And in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly: life.

But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone, Darkness will return.

**Chapter One: Jackson Overland Sapphire Frost**

Alvin the Treacherous strode down the streets, a band of armed and nasty looking Outcasts trailing behind him. Alvin's face was masked by the dim lights that lit the streets of Vale. People scurried out of the way at the mere sight of weapons. No one dared to step in their way.

The Outcast Leader had an arrogant smirk painted on his face as he strode down to a Dust Shop sitting at the end of the road. The bell jingled when the door swung open. Alvin and the Outcasts poured into the shop. One of the men drew his sword and pointed it at the neck of the shopkeeper.

'Please,' the old man croaked. 'Just take my Lien and leave.'

Alvin carefully hushed the poor man. 'Calm down, we're not here for your money.' The Chief turned to his men. 'Grab the Dust.'

One kept the sword raised up against the shopkeeper as the others wandered to the chests sitting beside the walls. With the heaves of crowbars, the lids flew open with a soft creak. Inside was an array of colorful crystal ranging the shades of the rainbow.

Savage, Alvin's second in command used his bone as he pried open a one of the chests sitting in the corner of the store. Just as he was about to make a grab for the loot when he caught something in the edge of his eye. A figure in a blue sweatshirt stood at the edge of the aisle with his back turned.

Savage directed his bone bludgeon at the strange figure. 'Hey!' he called. 'You there, in the corner, hands in the air where I can see them.'

The strange person sighed as he turned around. It was a young boy who seemed no older than the age of sixteen. He placed the wooden mug in his hand onto the nearby counter. 'I can't even enjoy a cup of yak nog around here?'

Alvin was musing over the magical Dust crystals when Savage's body was sent flying beside him, crashing into the glass. Alvin stared out the broken window, and saw the one who had his second in command pinned to the ground.

The boy from before stood proudly, his foot on Savage's chest. He had snow white hair, pale skin and piercing blue eyes. A devious grin curled up his lips. The boy reached into his sweatshirt pocket. He took out a stick that quickly morphed into a large brown G-tipped staff. The boy got into a solid stance.

'Well this is interesting,' Alvin murmured in amusement. 'Who are you, boy?'

'Jack Frost,' the boy casually replied. His hands twirled the staff in the air for a moment before slamming the tip onto the road. A rush of wind erupted from the staff.

'Okay,' said Alvin slowly. He gestured his men towards Jack. 'Get him.'

Within seconds, an Outcast launched himself towards Jack. His sword was drawn as he charged. Jack easily sidestepped out the way and with a single movement of his staff, tripped the Outcast. The man landed on the ground with a hard blow to the head.

Another was already running towards Jack. He swung his staff again, hitting the Outcast firmly in the crotch before proceeding to send a kick to the stomach. Just as the third Outcast was storming right at him, Jack waved his staff upwards, and a brilliant blue block of ice shot up from the ground, striking the Outcast on the chin. He fell to the ground, knocked out.

Alvin watched the entire event take place. 'Well they were useless.' He turned to Jack. 'Well, Jack, I believe it has been an eventful evening. And as much as I would love to stay and chat…' Alvin brought out a dagger hidden in his belt. 'I'm afraid this is where we part ways.' The Outcast chief chucked the small blade directly at Jack's feet. The boy leaped backwards just in time. The dagger turned bright crimson, before shooting out a large explosion of flames. Jack ducked his head from the force. Smoke rose up into the air. With his staff, Jack summoned some wind to blow out the fires.

Jack's gaze quickly landed on a building right in front of them. Hastily climbing up the ladders was Alvin the Treacherous. Jack brought his staff up to his eye level, pointing the G-shaped end right at Alvin. Shots of blue ice shot from the curve, landing hits against the wall beside Alvin. Alvin hurriedly scurried up onto the roof.

The shopkeeper was at the door, his shoulder leading onto the doorframe. Jack turned to face him. 'You okay if I go after the creep?'

The old man muttered an approval. Jack leapt off the ground and thrusted himself high into the air. Using his staff to help control the wind currents, he landed on the top of an old building. His eyes darted around the rooftop for any signs of Alvin. He was gone.

Instead, Jack found another glowing dagger at his feet. Black roots shot up from the ground, grabbing onto his legs. Jack allowed a curse to slip through his lips.

His head was suddenly pushed onto the ground. A loud rumble echoed in Jack's ears, quickly followed by a rush of heat. He squinted his eyes. As the detonation subsided, Jack noticed that what seemed like a woman-bird hybrid had her hand on his head.

'Who are you?' Jack whispered.

The lady stood up. 'Toothiana.'

The bounds around Jack's ankles disappeared. The young boy excitedly got up to his feet, a happy go-lucky expression on his face. 'Are you a Huntress?'

Toothiana shot Jack an annoyed look. 'Jack Frost, is it?'

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'Your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, young man.' Toothiana's tone was stern. Jack couldn't help but sit there with hunched shoulders in the middle of the spotlight in an interrogation room.

Toothiana gave Jack a concerned look. 'You put yourself and others in grave danger.'

'Hey, I was just enjoying my yak nog,' Jack said in his own defense. 'They were the ones who interrupted me, and robbed the store.'

'While it was a rather noble act you attempted to pull off,' Toothiana began, earning a smile from Jack. 'You could have killed the shopkeeper and everyone in the neighborhood.'

Jack groaned.

'But,' Toothiana continued. 'There's someone here who would like to see you.'

Jack raised an eyebrow in confusion. From the shadows of the room was a large man. He had an oversized beard and seemed at least seven foot tall. With giant muscular arms and a viking helmet, Jack made a note to himself that he had to watch what he would say in front of this guy.

As Toothiana stepped out the door, the man sat down in the empty seat in front of Jack. 'Your full name, boy?'

'Jackson Overland Sapphire Frost, sir.'

'"Sapphire"?'

Jack cleared his throat. 'It's my mother's maiden name.'

'I see,' the man replied. He leaned back against the chair, and Jack almost cringed at the thought of it breaking.

'So Jack,' said the man, 'I hear from Toothiana that you summoned wind and ice while attempting to stop Alvin the Treacherous?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Where did you learn to do it?'

'My hometown is up in the cold mountains. I would train up there how to become in one with the air and the frost. It helped with survival, sir. The Dust in my staff is to help channel my Aura energy.'

'Do you have a family?'

'A sister and a mother,' said Jack.

'Your home and family is in the mountains, yet you are here in the city,' the viking figure said. 'What is it that you wish to accomplish?'

'Well,' Jack began, 'I want to become a Hunter.'

The man murmured in interest, his eyes lighting up with curiosity. 'So you want to slay monsters.'

Jack nodded. 'All my life I've wondered why am I here. The easiest answer in this world of beasts is to fight against them. I want to become a Hunter and join the war between the humans and the dark forces. I came into town in hopes to apply for Beacon Academy.'

A small smile began to appear on the man's face. 'Do you know who I am?'

'You're Stoick the Vast,' Jack answered. 'You're the headmaster at Beacon.'

Stoick grinned. 'You want to come to my school?'

'Very much, sir.'

Stoick didn't take long to decide his answer. 'Very well.'

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Jack had been giddy all night and sleep was the last thing on his mind. It was the break of dawn and Jack didn't even feel the least bit sleepy. His hands carried a large duffel. Jack stood on a large wooden viking ship, and it had a fearsome looking wolf as a figurehead. Jack found it very intriguing.

Other teenagers around the same age as him were also piled at the docks. All of them were the new students of Beacon Academy, eager to start the new school year. Jack's eyes drifted between each and every one of them. There seemed to be over thirty teenagers on board, including himself. Jack couldn't help but wonder which one of these people would end up being on his team during his time at the Academy for the next two or so years.

His gaze was usually locked on the ever far away horizon during the journey. The world was such a large place. Jack had a feeling that he was just a small ant caught in the current that one calls "the world". But that current wasn't going to flow smoothly. Oppositions were sure to appear. And he would face them with the friends he would make at Beacon. In fact, Jack was already considering which ones he might want to befriend before the school's initiation.

A few of them caught Jack's attention. There was this tall guy who would be sitting in the corner sharpening his knife. There was a girl with a leather band across her forehead with a double bladed battle axe strapped onto her. Then there was this other girl with unusually long hair.

It wasn't long before the entire vessel was swallowed by a thick fog. Visibility dropped to almost zero. There were confused and worried murmurs from the students. Jack had to squint his eyes in order to make out anything more than two meters in front of him.

Stoick the Vast stood on the bow of the ship with Toothiana at the helm. He turned to face the new faces looking back at him. 'Fellow newcomers of Beacon Academy!' he bellowed. 'Here begins your new life and Hunters and Huntresses in training. I will say that most of you will not make it through initiation tomorrow morning. But for now, I welcome you to Beacon Academy!'

All the mist suddenly disappeared. The scenery revealed a majestic cliff and at the very top, was a large structure, as if it was reaching for the heavens. Jack could feel his jaw dropping at the sheer size of the facility.

His life at Beacon Academy was only beginning…

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Well, that's all I have for chapter one. Hiccup, Merida and Rapunzel make their official appearances in the next chapter.

Thank you for even checking this story out, it means a lot to me, and is very encouraging for a writer.

~Kyra


	2. The Shining Beacon

I'm surprised to find some people actually enjoying this story! That's a good sign, so here's chapter 2!

**Chapter Two: The Shining Beacon**

'Whoa…' Jack wasn't the only one who was in awe at the landscape in front of them. The structure, was easily at least five stories tall. Water flowed in from the tops of the mountains, ending in a peaceful lake that shifts into a beautiful cascading waterfall.

Most of the teenagers hurriedly rushed right after Stoick the Vast and Toothiana straight into the Academy's main building. Jack found himself being bumped and pushed around. His duffel nearly fell out of his hand. Jack reached out and grabbed the arm closest to him.

'What?' It was a girl with messy bright orange hair in a dark green dress. She had a bow looped in her upper right shoulder and a quiver over her back.

'Uh, hi,' Jack said nervously. 'Where are we supposed to go?'

'I'm just following the others,' the girl replied. 'Now if you'll excuse me, I don't want to be left behind.' She already started walking off before even finishing her sentence.

'Wait!' Jack called, 'what's your name?'

'Merida.' And just like that, Merida disappeared into the crowd of Beacon Academy freshmen.

Jack turned his head left and right. There was only one other boy who was still making his way up the wooden planks onto the campus. He dragged a bag almost half his size along the floor, and a satchel hug from his forearm. The boy had a sword strapped onto his belt. He stopped as Jack walked up to him.

'Hey.'

The boy yelped in surprise.

'Sorry,' Jack apologized. 'You need some help?'

'Nah, that's okay,' the boy replied. 'I can do it myself.' He took a heave at his luggage and hauled the strap over his shoulder. Jack winced as the boy nearly fell. He carefully regained his balance.

Jack held out his hand. 'Jack Frost.'

'Hunter,' the boy answered, shaking Jack's hand. 'Everyone else calls me "Hiccup".'

'Hiccup? That's an interesting nickname.'

Hiccup laughed dryly. 'My full name is actually much longer than that. But hey, some parents believe a hideous name would frighten off gnomes and trolls.'

'Does it?'

'Well it doesn't keep the Creatures of Grimm away,' Hiccup grumbled. Jack chuckled slightly. He turned his head down towards the direction of the pier. 'Is there anyone else still down there?'

Hiccup thought for a moment. 'I think there's one more. The girl with the unusually long hair.'

Just as Hiccup finished talking, the said person appeared right behind him. She wore a purple silk dress, and her braided golden blonde hair went all the way down to her ankles. She carried a simple bag and quickly ran up to two boys.

'Hi,' the girl chimed. 'I'm Rapunzel. Did everyone else already head on inside?'

'Yeah,' said Jack. 'By the way, I'm Jack and this is Hiccup.' Jack gestured to his new friend before pointing towards the Academy. 'All the others went in already. I'm just out here offering my help to Hiccup with that bag of his.'

'I can do it myself,' Hiccup grumbled.

'Well he seems cheerful,' Rapunzel commented. 'I got a little sidetracked with the view. I haven't really left the palace, so all of this new scenery is amazing.'

'Palace?' Jack repeated. He suddenly stepped back. 'You're a Princess?'

'I guess you can say that,' said Rapunzel, her large green eyes looking up at the sky. 'My parents are a little overprotective.'

'They have a reason to be,' Hiccup added.

Rapunzel giggled as she brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. 'Come on, maybe the Headmaster is going to make an important announcement.' She started walking towards the building. 'We probably shouldn't miss it.'

'Wouldn't dream of it,' Hiccup muttered as he and Jack followed Rapunzel.

The entrance hall was decorated with fancy torches that clung onto the walls. A luxurious chandelier hung from the ceiling. A red carpet led directly into a pair of large doors at the end of the hall. The doors were open.

Once Jack stepped inside, he saw rows and rows of seats organized in the middle of the room, all facing a stage and podium. Jack's eyes spied a couple of empty seats in the middle rows. He tugged Rapunzel and Hiccup. 'Over there.'

'Be right there,' Hiccup whispered in reply. He slipped through the crowds of chattering students with the oversized bag banging against his back. Jack and Rapunzel watched as Hiccup walked up to another boy who was just a little taller than him, but with a viking helmet and black hair.

Hiccup took the bag off him and dumped it onto the ground. 'Here, Snotlout,' Hiccup wheezed. 'I brought your luggage.'

'What took you so long, Fish-bone?' Snotlout jeered. He easily lifted the bag with a single hand. 'It's not that heavy you know.' With a meaty hand, Snotlout shoved Hiccup's chest backwards before walking off with a boisterous laugh. Dropping his shoulders, Hiccup trotted back to Jack and Rapunzel.

'That wasn't your bag?' said Jack as soon as Hiccup was in earshot.

'I wouldn't carry anything near that heavy,' Hiccup replied, annoyance and sarcasm evident in his voice.

'Who was that anyway?' Rapunzel asked.

'Snotlout Jorgensen,' said Hiccup in an almost disgusting tone. 'Reigning Thawfest Champion on the Isle of Berk for the past five years, who also just happens to be my incredibly arrogant cousin.'

Jack patted Hiccup on the shoulder. 'I feel sad for you.'

'Come on,' said Rapunzel. 'Let's get to our seats.'

The three teenagers wriggled through the other students, and managed to get to their seats before anyone else took them. Jack noticed the red-headed girl sitting a couple of rows in front of them.

'You know her?' Hiccup asked.

'Not really,' said Jack. 'Just her name: Merida. I met her when we first stepped into the school.'

Rapunzel looked at Jack curiously. 'In the ten minutes we've been here, how many friends have you made?'

'Three and one enemy,' Jack answered.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. 'Enemy?'

'Snotface Snotlout,' Jack said in a very matter of fact tone. Hiccup couldn't help but laugh. 'Trust me, I've wanted to call him that too.'

The chattering soon died down as Stoick the Vast stepped onto the stage. The auditorium fell silent.

'Students! Teachers! Staff!' he declared, loud and proud. 'I am your headmaster, Stoick the Vast, and I welcome you to another year at Beacon Academy.'

A roar of applause erupted from the audience. Jack couldn't help but clap along with everyone else.

'As you know, you are part of the privileged few who have been selected by our faculty to attend this Academy. You are at the top caliber of Hunters and Huntresses in training. Our world is experiencing an incredible era of peace. Now that you have dedicated your lives to fighting the Darkness, it is your duty to uphold this era of tranquility.

'Returning students, you may return to your dorms. New students, please gather in the ballroom where you shall spend the night. Your initiation will begin tomorrow morning. I wish you all the best of luck.'

The conversations immediately started up again as all the students stood up from their seats. Everyone turned towards the direction of the door. Jack still sat there with Hiccup and Rapunzel at his sides.

'That's it?'

'Looks like it,' said Rapunzel.

'So,' Hiccup began, 'anyone know how to get to the ballroom?'

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'It's like a giant sleepover!'

Jack excitedly threw himself onto sleeping mat sitting on the ground, beside Hiccup. The two boys were merely a small part of the group of newcomers to Beacon Academy. All first years were gathered in the ballroom, each being given sleeping bags in which they would spend the night in. The room had been divided in two to separate boys and girls.

Jack had his mat a few meters from Hiccup, who had himself propped onto his shoulders with a pencil in hand. The young boy looked up from his notebook and gave Jack a confused look. 'A sleepover?' Hiccup repeated.

'Yeah. You know, when you have friends come over and sleep at your house. Even my little sister has one from time to time.'

Hiccup murmured in understanding before turning back to his journal and resuming his writing. 'I've never really had any friends.'

Jack's excited expression softened. 'Oh,' he murmured. Jack's eyes were focused on Hiccup's hands as it moved across the page, scribbling down words. 'What are you doing?'

'Keeping track of my life here at Beacon,' Hiccup replied.

'So it's a diary,' Jack smirked.

'Memoir,' Hiccup quickly interjected.

'If you say so,' Jack answered, a teasing tone in his voice. 'Hey, how do you think Rapunzel's doing?'

Hiccup closed his book. 'She should be fine, Jack. It's a good chance for her to become friends with the other girls, too.'

'What's wrong with being friends with us?'

For a moment, Hiccup's face had a sad smile. 'Nothing,' he finally said. Hiccup tucked the notebook into his satchel before pulling the sheets over himself.

In the corner of his eye, Jack noticed Snotlout looking right back at them. 'Aw, little Hiccup going to bed already.' The boy gave a loud rambunctious laugh while turning his back and walking off to his own part of the room.

Jack gritted his teeth as he reached for his staff in his duffel. 'I am going to freeze that tongue of his.'

'Ignore him,' a muffled Hiccup spoke from inside the sleeping bag. 'He's always like that. I'm used to it anyway.'

Reluctantly, Jack allowed himself to put his staff away. As he laid there, Jack rested his head on his forearms. He turned his head slightly. His eyes stared out the window, and up at the large moon. The celestial body seemed to return his gaze. It was a warm and welcoming feeling.

Rapunzel watched the boys from the other end of the ballroom. She had placed her sleeping bag right in a corner. There weren't as many girls as there were boys. Rapunzel found it unsurprising. Most parents expect their daughters to be working at home and being perfect wives. But Rapunzel had enough of being sheltered. She applied to Beacon for the same reason as everyone else: to fight monsters.

In the middle of the room was the red haired girl. She had her arrows spread out in front of her, as if checking her ammunition.

Rapunzel stood up and walked over to her. 'Hi,' she said. 'You're Merida?'

'Yes,' Merida answered, a scottish accent in her voice. 'And you are?'

'Rapunzel. I hear you ran into Jack Frost in front of the school. I was thinking maybe we could be friends.'

'You mean the white haired dude?' Merida bundled up her arrows and slid them into her quiver. 'You friends with him?'

'You can say that. Do you have any friends here at Beacon?'

'Astrid,' said Merida. 'She's the girl with the axe. We met on the ship, and seem to have a common dislike for guys attempting to make moves on us.'

'Well that's a rather strange mutual interest.' Rapunzel cleared her throat. 'So, you think it's okay if we be friends?'

A smile made it's way to Merida's face. 'Why not.' With that, she started climbing into her sleeping bag. 'I'll see you tomorrow at initiation, Rapunzel. Good luck.'

'Thanks.'

With that, Rapunzel went back to her own section of the ballroom. As she shut her eyes, Rapunzel was grateful to know that it seems that her mother had been wrong about the world.

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The full names of the main characters had to be tweaked to fit the Rwby motif, but I'm sure everyone can recognize them. Oh, and as you may have noticed, Hiccup still has his foot and Rapunzel her hair. So I'm planning to retell a story based on the original films as well as a part of this while waiting for new Rwby content to show up. :)


	3. The First Step

Wow, I never thought I'd get this many views for this story. Ah, the world is a vast place.

**Chapter Three: The First Step**

'Hubert, Hamish, you two give me back my locker keys!' Merida fiercely demanded.

In front of her was a pair of boys, each with hair as red and messy as her own. The two exchanged goofy faces, and one of them jingled the keychain in his hands.

'Hubert,' Merida growled, threateningly. 'Before I tell Mum and forbid you from having anymore sweets give me back my keys.'

Hubert sighed as he threw the keychain into Merida's hands. 'Darn it, sis,' he muttered. 'You're no fun.'

'Yeah,' Hamish added. 'Brother Haggis would be here. But he's off fighting the Demon Bears. That you are so afraid of.'

Merida's cheeks flushed bright crimson. 'Oh, you two are so annoying! I hope we don't end up in the same team together.'

Laughing, the two brothers walked off. Merida hastily inserted her key into her locker and the door flung open. Inside, Merida found some spare ammunition and bows. The arrows had tips of varying color. Merida took some of the classic arrowheads, a few silver, and some bright crimson and placed them into her quiver.

Once she looked up, Merida noticed Astrid leaning on the locker right beside hers. 'Your brothers giving you a tough time?'

Merida groaned as she closed her locker. 'Don't get me started. It's been like this ever since we were little kids. They don't ever grow up.'

'We have twins back on Berk too,' said Astrid. 'They're not the brightest, but they try their best.'

'Are they here at Beacon?'

'No,' Astrid replied, bringing out her axe for a quick inspection. 'The only ones who came to Beacon from Berk this year are me, Snotlout and Hiccup.'

'Doesn't sound too promising,' Merida commented.

Astrid chuckled slightly. 'But I'm sure the others could get into some other school. It's not like they're not skilled.' She gestured for Merida to follow her. 'Come on. Let's get to Beacon Cliff so we can get initiation over with.'

The two girls began to walk down the corridor lined with dozens and dozens of lockers. One of the students was leaning against the wall. He carefully snuck a drumstick into his back pouch. Looking up, he noticed Astrid and Merida looking at him.

'What?'

'Took that from the cafeteria?' Merida asked.

'Yeah,' the student replied. 'I'm kind of proud of my ability to burgle things. I've been doing it since I was old enough to crawl.'

Astrid eyed him suspiciously. 'Astrid Hofferson.'

'Flynn Rider.'

'Well, Flynn,' said Merida, 'we'll see you during initiation, and hopefully afterwards as well.' She turned to Astrid. 'You think you'll pass?'

'I'm a proud warrior, Merida,' Astrid answered, confident clear in her voice. 'If I can't get through this, it would put shame to the Hofferson name.'

Astrid turned her head back to Flynn. 'Nice meeting you.'

'Likewise.'

Astrid's voice caught Hiccup's attention as they walked past his locker. They didn't notice that the boy had stopped to take a quick glance at them. But Hiccup did manage to notice the small grin coming to his face. He quickly wiped it off before resuming his final preparations before initiation.

By six in the morning, all the new recruits were woken up by Toothiana. After packing up the sleeping bags, everyone dispersed to the shower rooms. They were all taken to the locker room, and every student was assigned a locker that included some equipment relevant to their fighting style.

As soon as Hiccup opened his, he simply noticed some slots to place his sword in. The other spots were empty, so he assumed that he would have more blades. There was also some cloth for cleaning and light polishing, and some custom hilt decorations.

'Well you look exhausted,' Jack's voice suddenly said. Hiccup found Jack and Rapunzel standing right behind him.

'You two are already good to go?'

'Yep!' sang Rapunzel cheerfully. Her long hair was neatly braided, and a strange grip hung from her hip. 'On the other hand, you look worried, Hiccup. Are you nervous about initiation?'

'Nervous?' Hiccup replied, his voice slightly quivering. 'I'm not nervous. Why would you think I'm nervous.'

'You're right,' Jack said. 'You look _very_ nervous.'

Hiccup let out an exhausted sigh. 'I don't think I'm going to do very well.'

'Come on.' Jack waved one of his palms downwards. 'It's not going to be anything tough. You already got selected to attend Beacon, so I'm guessing that the initiation is going to be a piece of cake!'

'But Stoick did say that most of the new recruits don't make it past the first day, in other words, initiation,' Rapunzel reminded her friends. Jack gave her a slightly annoyed look. His gaze redirected to Hiccup, who had brought a leather thatched book out of his locker. 'What's that?'

'It's a copy of the Book of Dragons,' said Hiccup. 'My village kind of has a pest problem with the dragons for hundreds of years. So I'm kind of reading up on them to know what I'm going up against.'

'Smart,' Jack commented. Sensing the conversation coming to a standstill, he decided to change the subject. 'So, what weapons do you guys use?'

A smile lit up on Rapunzel's face immediately. 'I have a whip that doubles as a grappling hook,' she said, gesturing to the grip hanging from her hip.

'Any dust properties?'

'Not a lot yet,' said Rapunzel. 'So far, it can deal with a little object levitation. Though I am thinking of adding some attributes, something like lightning and electricity. It would give it much more of a punch.'

Jack brought out his small wooden looking baton, quickly morphing it into his staff. 'Mine runs completely on Dust and Aura,' he said. 'It allows me to do things with ice, frost and wind.'

'That's cool,' Rapunzel breathed before turning to Hiccup. 'What about you?'

Hiccup had a sad grin on his face before bringing out his sword. 'That's it. Literally. It's a family heirloom. It's been passed down through the family for at least a hundred years.'

'Wow,' Jack commented. 'I can't believe it doesn't break.'

'It's been refined time and time again,' said Hiccup. 'It's also and Ulfberht sword. They say it's made from pure steel without any impurities, making it as flexible as it is strong. To top it off, every generation in my family gave the sword a different name when they took it as their own.'

'What did you name it?' Rapunzel asked.

Hiccup ran his fingers along the fuller carved into the sword. 'Endeavour,' he finally said. 'It's to remind me to never give up on anything before trying.'

'But you'd best not forget that the same thing is going to apply for initiation,' Jack reminded him.

Hiccup dropped his shoulders slightly. 'I know.'

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At least thirty of Beacon Academy's freshmen students were lined up along the side of an ominously sharp cliff overlooking a large, lush forest. The students stood on silver platforms, each of them bearing the crest of the Academy.

Jack turned his head left and right. He could see Hiccup and Rapunzel among the gathering, but there were also countless of other students that he knew were complete strangers to him, even the ones who were on the same ship just the day before.

Stoick the Vast and Toothiana stood in front of the file-up, standing between the new recruits and the ridge.

'For years, you have trained to become warriors,' Stoick began. 'Today, those skills will be tested in the Emerald Forest.'

Toothiana stepped forward. 'I am sure that all of you have heard the rumors about the assignment of teams. We will put those rumors to rest. Each of you will be given teammates who will stay with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon on this very day. It is recommended that you pair up with someone you will be able to cooperate with effectively.'

'That being said,' Stoick added in, 'the first people you have made eye contact with following your landing at Beacon shall be your teammates. There are countless of trails in the forest that all lead to a single temple. Once you have partnered up, head for that temple and select one of the relics. You will bring that relic back to this cliff.

'However, your path will not be free of obstacles. Do not hesitate to destroy anything and everything that stands in your way. If you refuse to focus, there is a high chance that you will die.'

'Stoick the Vast and I will track your progress throughout the entire initiation and grade all of you accordingly. But we will not intervene. Please keep in mind, that this is where we lose most of our new recruits. So stay alert, and we wish you all good luck.'

One of the platforms sprang forward at an angle, propelling the student standing on it into mid-air. He was sent flying towards the Emerald Forest. Jack could almost feel his jaw drop. _Landing strategy, huh? This must be where most of the new kids mess up. Well, it shouldn't be a problem for me._

The moment Jack managed to reassure himself, he was forced into the skies. Hiccup watched as Jack, and soon Rapunzel, was flung in the direction of the sea of trees. He stood at the very end of the line, most likely the last to be launched. He saw Astrid being tossed over the edge of the cliff as well.

Just as Hiccup was about to be launched, he closed his eyes and muttered a prayer. 'Odin, help me.'

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Unlike the original series, the Creatures of Grimm will only be creatures from the RotBTD films. So dragons, nightmares and yes, bears. :)


	4. The Emerald Forest

The initiation gets going!

**Chapter Four: The Emerald Forest**

Flying had never been near the top of Hiccup's favorite hobbies. So now that he was hurdling towards a forest filled with the Creatures of Grimm, Hiccup was practically scared out of his wits. Pillars of green whizzed past his vision. He had made attempts to grab onto some of them, but they barely slowed down his fall.

A splotch of crystal blue suddenly filled Hiccup's sights. Before he had any time to comprehend what was happening, he was slammed chest first into water. The impact was hard and solid, pushing air right out of his lungs. On instinct, Hiccup kicked his legs and his head popped up on the surface of the water.

Hiccup found himself in a small lake with a miniature waterfall coming in from the walls of the cove. Rocky barriers surrounded the entire area, and there was a large chunk of dirt within the area. Hiccup pulled himself out the water and squeezed his tunic and waistcoat. His gaze was directed at the walls. Hiccup sighed. 'While I actually survived that fall, and the fact that this place is nice and seclusive, I'm going to have to climb out of here, don't I?'

Rapunzel's bright golden hair blew in the wind. Tightly tied, it refused to give way. As the trees approached, Rapunzel held out her whip. She thrusted it forward, and the edge of the hook caught onto one of the lower branches. She pressed a switch on her handle, and she retracted the whip, bringing her closer to the ground. Her feet landed on the branch firmly, and it almost gave way. She hopped off the tree and onto the ground. 'Well that wasn't that hard.'

On the other hand, Jack was having no trouble whatsoever. With a simple wave of his staff, he lifted himself into the air. He propelled himself above the forest. He whooped in joy as he reached out his free hand to run through the leaves of the canopy. Jack pulled himself to a stop. While he could easily move around in the forest, he realized that he couldn't see anyone through the thick foliage.

Jack turned downwards, the breeze carrying him to the ground. He broke into a run just before his feet touched down on the ground, making a sprint through the forest.

_Okay, _Jack thought, _this is where it begins. I need to find my partner. The people I've made eye contact with ever since landing at Beacon… There's Hiccup. He seems like a smart guy, I mean he writes and reads in his free time. On the other hand, he can't even carry a bag of luggage, let alone lift something like an axe. He's probably not all that handy in a fight. Oh, Rapunzel! She's nice, cheerful. But what if someone else finds her first? Darn, I'd need Option 2. Would Snotlout count? Wait, what am I thinking? Why would I want to pair up with him? _

_ Ugh,___Jack groaned mentally. _Who else do I know in this school? There's Snotlout, Hiccup, Rapunzel and…._

A figure appeared in the bushes, and Jack quickly dug his feet into the ground. He came to a stop, just in front of Merida. The two exchanged glances for a moment. Jack's expression was uncertain, before morphing into that of a smile.

Merida sighed. 'Alright, I'll be your partner. Someone probably already took Astrid, anyway.'

In a different area of the forest, the mentioned Berk Warrior easily used her axe and dug it into the trunk of a tall tree. She spiraled down the hazel colored main stem, coming to a stop on the grass.

A shadow whizzed from behind. Astrid turned, her weapon in hand. There was a rustle from the bushes. She threw her battle-axe forward, burying it into the root of a large tree behind her. There was a yelp from the shrubs.

'It's me!' Flynn shrieked, his head popping out of the leaves. 'Please don't slice me.'

Astrid gave him an annoyed face. 'What were you trying to do, steal my axe.'

Flynn grunted as he pulled Astrid's weapon from the tree. 'Maybe.' He tossed it back to her. 'Since you and Merida were the only ones I've talked to since landing at Beacon, one of you is going to have to become my teammate.'

A sigh escaped Astrid's lips. 'And it looks like I'm the lucky one.' She took the axe in her hand, and attached it to her back. She gestured for Flynn to follow her. 'Oh well. Since we've paired up quickly, let's be the first to get to the temple.'

Flynn grinned. 'Let's.'

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'Hello?' Rapunzel's voice echoed throughout the layers and layers of trees. 'Hello?' she called again. Following her landing, Rapunzel hadn't seen any other of the students yet, let alone her friends. The forest was quiet, with only the occasional sounds of crickets, the chittering of squirrels and the chirping of birds.

'I'm getting lonely here,' Rapunzel murmured. The noises from the animals died down, leaving the girl in almost pure silence. Rapunzel found herself near what seems like a ditch in the middle of the forest, it's cliffs just in her sights.

'Hello?' she whispered, slightly nervous. Her hand was moving to the handle of her whip instinctively.

There was a load roar, and a pitch black colored beast leapt out from the undergrowth. It had four legs, each of it's paws armed with large claws. It's snout sniffed the air for signs of danger.

Rapunzel took a step back. 'A Demon Bear, huh.' Her fingers wrapped themselves around the grip. The monster took a single step forward, bloodlust radiated in it's bright red eyes. With a large paw, the Demon Bear lunged for Rapunzel's legs.

She leaped into the air, the sharp talons barely missing her feet. Rapunzel lifted up her hilt and pointed it towards a high branch. The grappling hook shot upwards, and Rapunzel reeled herself onto the tree.

The Demon Bear followed her with it's eyes. Using it's head, it rammed the trunk of the tree.

'Whoa!' Rapunzel clung onto the main branch, preventing herself from falling. The Demon Bear growled furiously as it pounced onto the tree. Rapunzel shakily stood up. Holding the grappling hook at the Bear, Rapunzel fired it. The sharp edges cut through the tough skin of the beast. The Demon Bear howled in pain. One of it's paws grabbed the hook and wrapped it around the same leg.

Rapunzel gritted her teeth. Her arms strained from pulling on the hilt to keep it from slipping out of her was a hiss from the edge of the whip. The Demon Bear stumbled backwards as the hook suddenly disconnected from the rest of the whip. The hilt mechanism pulled everything in.

'Aw, I wasted one of the simpler models.' She reached into a pouch attached to her belt, bringing out a silver trident shaped hook. She locked it onto her hilt device with a click. 'Let's try this.'

Rapunzel directed her shot upwards, the trident sinking into a large branch above. Rapunzel yanked on the whip and the branch separated, glowing light purple. The branch started to align itself, the sharp end lining up with the Demon Bear.

With a grunt, Rapunzel lashed her arm forward. The whip followed the overarching movement of her arm. The curve ended with the spike of the branch burying itself into the back of the Bear. The creature gave a cry of anguish before falling to the ground. Rapunzel hopped down from the tree, and retracted the hook back to the hilt. 'Well that wasn't so hard.' Rapunzel turned, ready to leave.

Hiccup's voice came from nowhere. 'Rapunzel, behind you!'

Rapunzel whipped her head around. There was another Demon Bear right behind her. It bellowed loudly and rose up to it's feet. Rapunzel's arm moved faster than her brain. With the hilt and the trident fixed on the beasts' chest, the lash thrashed forward, impaling itself straight into the heart of the monster.

It took a second for Rapunzel to recoil, just as the Demon Bear fell just beside her feet. She turned and with his head just above the edge of the ditch was Hiccup. Rapunzel looked at him with a peculiar expression. 'Hiccup, what were you doing down there?'

'I fell,' Hiccup grumbled in return. 'Now can you please help me get out of here?'

A smile adorning her face, Rapunzel reached her hand out to Hiccup. He took it, and Rapunzel pulled him up. Hiccup brushed some dirt off his waistcoat. 'By the way,' he said, 'that was very impressive.'

Rapunzel secured the hilt back onto her belt. 'It's only two Demon Bears,' said Rapunzel. 'I bet you a real Huntress could take on a whole pack.' Rapunzel breathed a sigh of relief. 'Come on, let's get to that temple.'

'Did you hear that?' Hamish asked his brother. Hubert quickly grabbed his dagger and held it at the ready. His eyes narrowed. 'Cracking branches. It seems that some of the others have already encountered the enemy.'

'We're lucky we're still in the clear,' said Hamish. 'You think it was sister Merida?'

Hubert let out an arrogant laugh. 'If it was our sister, there would already be a crater left in the forest.'

Meanwhile, standing at the rims of Beacon Cliff stood Stoick the Vast and Toothiana. In front of them was a large pane of glass, transmitting the signals brought about by surveillance Dust crystals. The two of them examined the footage intently. The panel was separated into different parts, each keeping track of the various teams that have been paired in the forest.

Some of the transmissions were showing not living students, but the Creatures of Grimm feeding on the poor ones who couldn't make it through. The sight was painful and heart wrenching to watch.

Toothiana had a solemn expression on her face. 'It seems that a little over half did not make it.' She let out a sad sigh. 'This has always been the hardest part of the year.'

'The purpose of Beacon Academy is to train the greatest of Hunters and Huntresses,' Stoick explained. 'The weak will not survive. This test is to ensure that only the strong can belong.'

'That aside,' said Toothiana, 'it seems that our last pair has assembled. I feel rather sad for Ms. Lavender, being stuck with Mr. Haddock. I don't care what his transcript says. From what I've seen, Mr. Haddock is not ready for this level of combat.'

'It is rather impressive that he has not yet been killed by a Creature of Grimm. But only time will tell is he truly capable of being a Hunter.'

'Just because his name is "Hunter" doesn't mean that he is able to becoming one.'

Stoick didn't reply. Instead, he simply shifted his sights to another one of the screens. Jack and Merida were tumbling about the woods. The boy was dragging his staff along the grass, trailing behind the girl in front of him.

'Come on, Merida,' Jack groaned. 'Can't I fly?'

'No,' she answered, her back turned all the while. 'If you do, how on earth am I going to keep up with you?'

'You speed up,' Jack muttered under his breath.

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Well, it shouldn't be long now before we get to the individual stories of the Big Four. :)


End file.
